DIFFA's Picnic By Design Event 2014

DIFFA held their third Annual Picnic By Design Event, this last Wednesday, at the beautiful Midtown Loft & Terrace. The evening represented the culmination of weeks of hard work and preparation from budding designers through the City. The menacing storm clouds finally parted in the afternoon, following the largest rainstorm of the summer here in New York, allowing for a fabulous evening of picnicking and festivities.

When it came to designing my picnic basket tableau, it was important that its design represent the values and ideologies at the core of Julie Schuster Design Studio. I chose the theme ‘Zen Garden’ because of my interest and practice in Feng Shui. I love the idea of the balance of the elements being synonymous with the idea of a balanced meal. The finished product incorporated just that, a balance of the elements:

• FIRE: napkins, candle, Buddha figurines, the color red.

• EARTH: stones, square pattern rug, cheese board, sand, the colors orange and brown.

• METAL: cutlery, wine glasses, wind chimes.

• WATER: blue bowl, sea glass, the color black.

• WOOD: botanical print, plates, bamboo, the color green.

A big thank you to everyone that made the event such an enjoyable success. Special thanks to Barbara Barran at Classic Rug for the beautiful chain stich carpet that inspired the tableau and Robert Allen for the fabrics that became the heart and soul of the project. Thanks to Rene and Martin Albert Interiors for the tablecloth, basket, placemats and napkins, with decorative elements from Roberta Freymann (@RobertaFreymann) of Roberta Roller Rabbit. Last, but certainly not least, thanks to Marc Blackwell (@marcolblackwell) for the lovely table settings that completed the setup.

The picnic was surely this summer’s most wonderful event so far! Check out my finished Zen Garden and happy snaps from the evening on my Facebook page. Good times, good friends and balmy summer nights for a good cause. It doesn’t get much better than that, does it?